Feds could cut off cash for bike paths, sidewalks

May 5, 2011|By Dan Tracy, Orlando Sentinel

Millions of tax dollars set aside by law to build bike paths and sidewalks in Florida and elsewhere could be siphoned away for roads if U.S. Rep. John Mica and state transportation officials are successful in changing the rules.

Mica, R-Winter Park, who chairs the powerful House transportation committee, said he wants to streamline the process by which billions of federal-gas-tax dollars are divided annually. Among the regulations he intends to eliminate is the one that directs about 10 percent of that money to bike lanes, sidewalks and other items.

He has the support of Ananth Presad, recently appointed by Gov. Rick Scott to be top administrator of the Florida Department of Transportation.

During a congressional hearing run by Mica in Maitland last month, Presad said, "We must give serious consideration to whether — when resources and dollars are at a premium — spending money on sidewalks, bike trails, beautification and other projects like this is the most prudent use of taxpayer money."

Mica told the Orlando Sentinel he wants to add flexibility to how states spend their share of federal gas taxes by cutting back on mandates. He added that states still could spend on bike paths and sidewalks if they were a priority.

"I favor some attention to enhancements [bike paths, sidewalks]," Mica said, "but there's no reason I have to dictate it."

Mica is writing a transportation-spending bill that could cover the next six years. He held a series of hearings, including the one in Maitland, to determine how to spend the roughly $32 billion annually raised through the federal gas tax of 18.4 cents per gallon.

One problem facing Mica is that gas taxes are falling because rising prices at the fuel pump have prompted people to drive less or use more-efficient vehicles. About a third of the state's $7 billion annual transportation budget comes from the federal government.

Last year, the feds sent about $350 million to Central Florida for roads. Of that, about $35 million had to be spent on bike paths, sidewalks and other endeavors such as historic preservation and landscaping.

Biking and walking enthusiasts are concerned about the possible policy change.

"If you take the money away, there's virtually no replacement for it," said Brad Kuhn, director of Bike/Walk Central Florida.

Tim Bustos, a former transportation planner and director of the Florida Bicycling Association, said the change would be tantamount "to taking us back in time 20 years."

Rick Geller, a lawyer and Orange County planning and zoning commissioner, said Central Florida roads already are ranked among the deadliest in the country for bikers and pedestrians. Reduced funding, he said, would make the region even more dangerous.

"How many more headlines must we read of kids getting killed or critically injured walking to school, walking to a school bus or riding their bikes?" Geller said. "To shift funding away from bike lanes and sidewalks, when Florida is number one in the nation for pedestrian and bicyclist deaths, is reckless and irresponsible."

In the four-county region of Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Lake counties, 115 people were killed after being hit by cars or trucks during 2007-08, according to Sentinel research.

MetroPlan, which sets transportation policy in Orange, Seminole and Osceola counties, has made a concerted effort in recent years to spend on bike paths and sidewalks.

As a result, almost 80 percent of the state roads in Central Florida — excluding the interstates and Florida's Turnpike – have bike lanes, records show. That is nearly 1,300 miles.

Orange and Seminole counties also have converted six abandoned rail lines into bike- and pedestrian-only trails covering a total of 74.5 miles. Statewide there are 51 such corridors stretching 661.5 miles, not counting the largely unpaved 1,500-mile Florida Scenic National Trail.

Just this month, MetroPlan approved spending $3.1 million for bike paths in Orlando, Orange and Seminole counties. MetroPlan spokeswoman Kelley Teague said her agency is "watching and waiting" to see what will happen with the new transportation bill.

Mica intends to have the committee vote on the spending bill sometime in May or June, likely setting up the summer for debate. The previous bill expired in 2009, and neither side could agree on a new one, leaving to a series of short-term amendments to keep the money flowing.

The bottom line this time, he said, will be a dramatic reduction in rules about how the taxes must be spent, giving the states more say.